Data Privacy Essay Example for Students

Encroached Privacy Zone

The right to privacy faces increased threats through public disclosure, intrusion and falsified publicity. However, new technologies have amplified the privacy problem beyond the four categories. The resulting scenario becomes difficult to address recent violations of privacy rights. The situation compels a new framework that focuses on identifying activity with the potential to cause privacy problems. It recognizes multiple areas where the violation of privacy rights occurs during collection, processing, dissemination, and invasion of information (Solove 2008, 103). The violation occurring when collecting information involves surveillance of private activities and interrogation for information. Secondly, erroneous processing may result in manipulation aggregation (Solove 2008, 118). Leakages from the careless handling of stored information and unauthorized use without the subject's consent. Again, unchecked dissemination of information results in confidentiality breach and hurtful disclosures alongside exposure, blackmailing and misleading information (Solove 2008, 138). Lastly, the violation occurs through the invasion of private affairs that disturb solitude.

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Beyond decisional interference, new technology violates the privacy zone leading to uncontrolled disclosure of personal matters. Such interferences overlook the existence of individual space through invasions and intrusions into the personal life. While liberty compels protecting the person from, decisional interferences through the government agencies resemble incursions by colleagues. It violates the privacy principle enshrined in the countless of countries constitutions that outlaw disturbance directed towards family, document, individual and possessions (Solove 2008, 162). However, the internet becomes a harsh platform that nurtures lasting memory aggravated through the searchable and crunchable database. The increased presence of surveillance technologies integrated into modern devices alongside the instant sharing channels poses threats to privacy zone (Jones 2018, 3). As such, the instant disclosure possible under digitization tethers individuals to their past actions.

Global Data Privacy Laws

The increased concern over data privacy reflects in demand for stricter regulations amongst lobby groups and human rights groups. The petitions for consumer's sovereignty has seen more countries enact data privacy laws. The regulations capture a broader sectorial coverage that accommodates private and public spheres at the national and international levels. The provisions acknowledge data protection a priority to safeguard disclosures of information that reveal the inner space without the subject's consent. The regulatory agencies cite need to restrict disclosures on consumer transactions, credit reporting and medical records (Greenleaf 2015, 3). The need for exhaustive coverage creates room for more sub-national laws on privacy laws besides the national statutes.

Accelerating enactment of Data Privacy Law

The pressure to secure private data compels national governments to initiate bills aiming to safeguard intrusion of inner space. The trend shows the decline in countries lacking privacy laws. The rising number arises from the inadequacy of existing provisions to cover the changing technological sphere. Such compels amending the pre-existing laws (Greenleaf, 2012, 2). The global integration warrants new mini-jurisdictions along with a need to bring sanity in the private and public sectors.

The enactment of new laws creates a criterion of inclusion bridging the gap between private and public sphere. The resulting acceleration emerges from the discovery of insufficiency in the civil action against privacy infringement and inconsistent compliance with the voluntary code (Greenleaf, 2012, 3). A majority of countries run sector coverage provisions that differ among public and private contexts. Such regulations stimulate confusion and policy gaps in the provision of essential privacy protection. The need for unitary provisions led to the introduction of new legislation to bridge the separate legal jurisdictions (Greenleaf, 2012, 4). The total number of new privacy regulations captures the commitment to harmonize laws to conform to the global standards.

Geographical Expansion of Data Privacy Laws

The geographical presence of harmful threats posed by the violation of data privacy manifests in the expansion of new statutes outside Europe. The commitment by other economic powerhouses to secure big-data, cloud storage, and electronic commerce transactions shows in the surge of data privacy laws enacted outside Europe. It shows that privacy concerns are no longer a Eurozone thing. However, the standards set by the European data privacy laws remain paramount. Countries yet to enact the privacy laws are a minority as more bills in the pipeline awaiting legislative assent increasing the national protection. The trend of mushrooming enactment indicates the significance of privacy law (Greenleaf 2015, 4). Nevertheless, the strength and coverage of enacted provisions remain doubtful. Equally, their enforcement would require the elimination of clauses that appear to water down their scope. The higher number of new laws occurs parallel to the amendment of principles to ensure effective enforcement of existing principles (Greenleaf 2015, 5). Still, the presence of international pressure to harmonize data protection and respect of human rights reflects in the increased need for data protection.

Efforts towards the harmonized security of privacy law show uneven implementation. Nevertheless, enactment trends show geographical representation led by the African Union Convention on Cyber-security and Personal Data Protection and Council of Europe Data Protection Convention of 1981 (Greenleaf 2015, 5). Securing the privacy information from unauthorized sharing and disclosure remains a work in progress. The situation necessitates closer evaluation to track the effectiveness of data privacy laws in various countries. Besides the analysis of coverage, further assessment is required to indicate evidence of enforcement to secure privacy zone. The current situation shows progress in securing private in response to European soft power in setting global standards (Greenleaf 2015, 7). The proof of increased enactment in various jurisdictions yields global legal inertia challenging to reverse and ignore. The achievements indicate that cross-border enforcement is a likely addition.

Privacy in the Global Digital Age

Digital age increases the exposure to violated privacy zone to service providers and third-parties sniffing information shared. The presumed security of online communication emerges from anonymity that arises during the execution of activities. The internet protocol address makes it possible to discern the exact location of users. Unless under strict data protection, web-browsing is a discoverable activity. It explains the ability of technology savvy individuals and entities to create extensive databases on individuals web-browsing. The presence of powerful data-mining techniques leaves such entities to obtain more exceptional details of individual consumers. Although privacy varies with culture, increased usage of digital media changes poses threats to personal life (Ess 2009, 55). The intrusion of individual privacy reveals the shameful secret and negative things hidden in the history. The permanency in digital platforms mandates strong data privacy protections possible through stricter laws. Different from patchwork evident in the United States, privacy protections prioritizes selfhood and identity by restricted access to personal spaces (Ess 2009, 65). It extends to safeguarding the disclosure of obtained information by avoiding revelation of details perceived too personal.

Connected World of Privacy and Security in the Internet of Things

The desire for convenience in sending and receipt of data and completion of activities manifests in the reliance on automated systems. Doing so creates higher usage of the Internet of Things to execute functions from a single click. The increased presence of such developments increases the growth of protecting consumers within the commercial sphere (FTC 2015, 5). The need for privacy has made security for devices connected to the internet a priority to minimize data collection, disclosure and retention without consent. Although companies should integrate security features in such devices, they often regard it as afterthought hence exposing the users to information leaks (FTC 2015, 28). Data minimization checks stealing from cybercriminals that would expose consumers to primary and secondary harm. Such occurs during illegal use of stored data such as blackmailing. Again, the retention of data increases the risk of using such in manner departing from reasonable expectations.

The integration of internet of things devices exposes consumers to unauthorized access, attacks on the individuals and information misuse. Furthermore, the ability to share sensitive personal information on health, geolocation and financial matters compel enforcement of stricter privacy laws to complement the security-by-design features in the Internet of Things (FTC 2015, 28). The new regulations would instill personal responsibility to nurture security over private information. It would involve conducting monitoring throughout the products' life cycle and patch the emerging vulnerabilities. The numerous benefits realized by consumers using the Internet of Things indicate more interaction between the individuals and technology. The situation blends the physical and virtual spheres into a tight bond that makes security and privacy inevitable. However, the use of sensors and devices purchased to ease intimate spaces poses leaks of personal information (FTC 2015, 55). The presence of physical objects in daily lives leaves consumers exposed to easy detention and observation. Consumers in such situations will desire privacy, hence a need to enact and enforce laws that promote appropriate security.

The abundance of information in online platforms constitutes a complex digital memory with wide-reaching implications. Firstly, online content individuals may purposefully share across the social networking platforms becomes a passage of extreme consequences. The ability of others to share content sent via online platforms amidst increased cloud storage leaves the information beyond the reach of their creators (Jones 2018, 6). The capability of search engines to guarantee continual crawling and indexing of online content easily collects private information to create big data. For instance, the use of device, location and search identifiers leaves a traceable web. The increased sharing and selling of big data exposes internet users to amplified discoverability. The dependency on the internet of things devices presents more opportunities to disclose, process and discover personal information (Jones 2018, 8). It implies that the data-driven progress realized today exposes individuals to rewritten history disclosing their private information.